Yesterday I did some more research on these two topics as I was having trouble deciding if I have them or not.

Carabelli's Cusp

In the book it shows that the first molar (5th from the middle) is where it can be found hitchiking. On the Wikipedia entry it says they can also (rarely) be found on the seoond and third molars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusp_of_Carabelli

When I first got the book on first excited fast read through and mad measuring session, I thought I had one. Second pass, I have a carabelli's cusp on my second molar (6th from the middle). There's always one out of the norm!

Do carabelli's cusps found second and third molars count for genotyping purposes?

Incisor Shovelling

I have very minor shovelling and needed to see more examples. So I did some searching of teeth images (my husband thought I was crackers and I probably am!).

Found this:

Quoted Text

Finally, a feature of the teeth can be used to distinguish Asians from the other two groups. This is the shovel-shaped incisor, which is formed by raised edges on the lingual side of these teeth (Figure 7. 9b). This variation stands in marked contrast to the flat lingual surface of the incisors of other groups (Figure 7.9a). Shoveling is particularly common on the upper central incisors; however, all other anterior teeth (including occasionally the canines) can exhibit this trait, although usually to a lesser degree. In some cases, the ridges can be so well devel≠oped that the tooth is barrel shaped; in other cases, the labial side can exhibit raised edges. This trait appears in approximately 90% of Asians and Native Amer≠icans, but occurs only in low frequency in Whites and Blacks (Le., less than 15 %).

FIGURE 7.9 Variation of the lingual surface of the incisors:(a) spatulate in Whites and Blacks;(b) shovel-shaped in Asians Source: Introduction to Forensic Anthropology http://www.geocities.com/censors/RACE/BYERS7.htmPhotos by Julie R. Angel; specimens courtesy of the State of New Mexico, Office of the Medical Investigator

This study was most interesting Ethnic dental analysis of shovel and Carabelliís traits in a Chinese populationhttp://www.carabelli.com/pdfs/carabelli.pdf It confirms that carabelli's cusp is more frequently found in Europe and that shovelling more commonly in Asians. It also says that among mongoloid populations it warrants further study that both traits may be more commonly found.

Maybe I have mongoloid in my ancestry maybe having both minor teeth shovelling and carabelli's cusp on the 2nd molar.

I hope the info and picture above might help people decide if they have CC or shovelling too.

Wow! I'd be kind of freaked out if my teeth were shaped like the second image. Thank you for finding this. I tried researching it when I first got the book but couldn't find any pictures for comparison.

I Think that's an extreme version of shovelling. Magress - you're right it is scary.

My teeth are somewhere between the top and bottom picture. They have nice serations and and very slight concavity. They are great for meat eating.

Tonight I'm going to have a steak for the first time in a long time! Yum! (sorry to anyone who can't eat red meat anymore, one mans food is another one's poison though!)

I had a poll attached to this but it dropped off while I was editing and previewing unfortunately. Love to know if anyone else has both CC and Shovelling or CC on a further back molar. I feel lucky to have such good tools for eating!

My daughters, whom I believe to be Warriors, both have the Cusps. They are on the second molars (6th tooth from the front) and very easily seen when looking at their orthodonic retainers. They have no shoveling. I've got the shoveling and no cusps.

As I am sitting here looking at these, wondering if I have shovelling or cusps, I just realized that I have a dental mold of my teeth at home (for some dental work I had done). Instead of trying to jam a mirror in my mouth, I can just look at those!! I saw them this morning and thought I should really throw them out, but I'm definitely going to give them a good examination when I get home.

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I have extremely minor enhanced marginal ridges at the top of 2 teeth; however, it's about 1/6th the width of the ridges in the photos, and cupping is minor. I have found some evidence of Native American ancestry, but by the time it gets to me, it's about 1/16th.

One might think these normal teeth are shoveled, but compared to real shoveling, it's clear they are not:

You may not have shovels as marked as the first picture above. Some academics use a 7 grade system for Tooth shovelling (Turner et. al. 1991) from none to extreme. There's a picture of the grades of shovelling on page two of http://ejournal.anu.edu.au/index.php/bippa/article/viewFile/119/109 pretty unclear picture unfortunately but all I could find.

D_Gale19 - Nice pic, where did you get that from is it your dental model? I guess the shovelling may be 2 or 3 on the scale. What does everyone else think?

Found another study on the degrees of carabelli's cusp, it can be just a groove or a pit as you can see in picture on the link! Mine is very pronounced, can feel it with my teeth. http://jmg.bmj.com/cgi/pdf_extract/9/3/336

Heidi, interesting how you teeth are so different from your daughters and fits with your genotypes. Dr D is right onto something here! I'm enjoying looking up anthropology, it's fascinating.

I have to say, I thought I was the only crazy one with the measuring absolutely everyone, myself included, checking, rechecking and double-checking. Thank you all, because now I don't feel completely alone and weird

Ghee- I don't have anything on my 5th molar, but I have Carabelli's cusp pretty strong on the 6th molar too, and not a strong one, a bump with a groove underneath on the 7th molar. NO wisdom teeth as they had to come out. I now know (thanks to you all) that I have little to no shovelling, although I thought I had shovelling until I looked at these pictures. If I do, it's very mild.

I counted my cusp for my genotyping purposes, because I figured, alright- I have an extra cusp on a molar. What does it really matter that it's on the 6th rather than the 5th?

Huh, so I wonder if we have them further back if we're supposed to answer yes? I definitely do not have shoveling. It's more like the very first pic. Nice and smooth.

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I had my SWAMI stuff filled out at the Oct conference in TN by the experts, Lola and Dr. C. My very back molars on the top have the cusps, and I was interested to see if that qualified. On my SWAMI material that came back, it is listed as Carabelli's Cusp: yes.

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I am confused because I only see the Carabelli's cusp listed on the Explorer Genotype page, but on the Genotype Test Kit, it gives my hubby extra points for the Warrior Genotype if he has the cusps. He definitely has them on the 6 tooth from the center, but appears to be the first molar. So, isn't this primarily an Explorer trait based on this? http://www.genotypediet.com/explorer.shtml I think my hubby fits the Explorer profile more than the Warrior profile, but I am not sure.

Good question. Working on an instructional DVD, and wondered about that when scripting the part about teeth. I didn't mention anything about the 5th molar, because the actor we found has a cusp farther back... so I assume it can be anywhere? Hope so, because I can't afford to pay a new voiceover! lol

Molars are first , second and third. So the "fifth" tooth is a second bicuspid.Numbering (or charting) the teeth is done either by quadrants...Tooth # 1 = left upper, left lower, right upper, right lower incisor, etc....or by maxilla(upper)# 1-16 and mandible(lower) #17-32.

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